A Refresher Course on Life

---

How a visit to a small devastated community sparked a big change in my understanding of life. Article and photos by Ethan Zohn, first published March 2010 at Tonic.com. I was 15 years old when I traveled to my first international location. Actually, I jumped in a car with some older buddies, headed north and crossed [...]

Ecoskin’s Tamarind Tunic Giveaway

---

Batwing tops have certainly made their style known to us this year, but only some designers do it really right. Sandy Skinner of Ecoskin, would be one such designer. Check out this soft blue Tamarind Tunic spotted recently on Kim Raver of Grey’s Anatomy, Lipstick Jungle and 24 (side note, how does one actress get so [...]

Reduce Your Carbon Impact by 15% in 12 Easy Steps

---

Article by Annie Scott, first published March 2010 at Tonic.com. I’m America, and I’m a pollutionoholic. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has some good news for us all: the US can cut its carbon pollution by 15 percent right now if we all take simple steps. Know how much pollution that is? One. Billion. Tons. [...]

Spring’s Sweet Color Accent: Raspberry

---

Raspberry Fields forever! So say peddlers of fashion accessories for Spring 2010. We say, how about some juicy finds for your crib? Wee Jubilee from Mod Green Pod serves up a cotton damask weave free of toxic pigments. Buy it by the  $39.75 a yard, or get it already made into a pillow from the new [...]

Sorry, But I’m Not Driving a Hybrid! 10 Reasons Why Good People Are Sticking with SUVs

---

Trade in your SUV for a hybrid? Now that’s a stretch for many drivers who are hooked on the notion that more is more, even in the age of doomed resources. Why is it that well informed, nice people refuse to pull the plug on those ubiquitous waste wagons, despite poor gas mileage and environmental concerns? The [...]

Cardigan Clip Me

---

It’s that time of year when just a cardigan sweater is enough. But if your cardigan is without buttons or a wee bit dowdy, what are you going to do? You’re going to spice it up is what you’re going to do! Designer Sara Brancato of Mi Asunta crafts her Cardigan Clips in New York from vintage [...]

Llamas Aren’t For Drinking

---

Let’s say you have a terrific natural liquid fertilizer, courtesy of healthy llamas and alpacas. It’s free of additives, preservatives and pesticides, and it’s available in virtually inexhaustible quantities. Green? You bet – in the gardening sense, and also in the way you’re selling it in reprocessed plastic bottles. Your product has Win written all [...]

EcoMeme: Green City, Happy City?

---

St. Patricks’ Day this week turned cities green literally – from landmarks to libations. But how green have major metro areas around the U.S. been throughout the year? The American Cities Business Journal group has released a new study on the matter. Their inaugural Green Cities Index examined 43 U.S. cities, and ranked them based on [...]

Battle of the Bland for Craft Brewers in ‘Beer Wars’

---

If you want to drink excellent beer, we have it. If you want compromise your standards and drink yellow nonsense, then you’re probably not our customer anyway, so what do we care?”- Greg Koch, co-founder Stone Brewing In nearly a decade of writing about small business, there is no single group I’ve [...]

NYC’s Bold Blueprint for Building a Better, Greener Food System

---

Cities across the nation suffer from some of the same ills regarding poor quality food and inequitable distribution of healthy, fresh produce and other unprocessed foods. But New York City has a bold plan that could very well serve as a model for the rest of us. Communities in every urban area include pockets or neighborhoods [...]